


Some Things Remain The Same

by naasad



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Green Lantern - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Hood/Arsenal (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Dine Bizaad, Dine!Roy, F/M, Feels, First languages, Fluff, Gen, Happy Ending, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Misunderstandings, Multi, Poly!Jason, Polyamory, Roy Utterly Fails at Being Supportive, canonically latino!Kyle, latino!Jason, miscommunications, spanish language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-27
Updated: 2018-06-27
Packaged: 2019-05-29 08:09:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15068882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naasad/pseuds/naasad
Summary: Jason comes out as poly to his boyfriend, Roy, and Roy makes a rather uninformed assumption about what that means for their relationship - a decision which has consequences in their future.





	Some Things Remain The Same

**Author's Note:**

> Many many thanks to @khaki-da for Spanish translations and to my two sensitivity readers, one of whom taught me a new word I, unfortunately, wasn't able to slot smoothly into the story. *drumroll* METAMOUR! It's a term used in poly communities for "lover of my lover" and is a key concept of the plot here.
> 
> Quick few things:  
> 1\. Roy is not poly, and is not a very good communicator here, either, but everyone else is on the same wavelength. That being said, there's not really a "bad guy" here. Please keep that in mind.  
> 2\. Something I vaguely imply but don't outright state is that Jason doesn't start seriously seeing anyone new when Kyle's off-planet, because in that case, he can't inform _all_ his partners and get their feedback like he'd want.
> 
> On to the story! I - and the people mentioned above - put a lot of time into this, so when you get to the end, please use that nifty little comment button to tell us all what you think!

**Kyle** sighed with relief as he slipped out of his uniform and into his apartment. The light was on and he smiled, Jason always spent at least a week with him after he came back from space. His boyfriend was in the kitchen - making eggs - and he snuck up behind him and wrapped his hands around his waist. "Guess who?"

Jason didn't react other than to press back slightly.

"What's wrong?"

"Roy asked me to marry him."

Kyle frowned. "You don't want to?"

Jason laughed humorlessly - the laugh or you cry kind of laugh. "I want to marry all of you."

"What does the law say?"

"There's no cohabitation laws because there’s no common law marriages, but if it looks like I've married more than one of you, it's a misdemeanor, and with Bruce bringing me back to life and all, it's an almost for sure thing they'll out me at the slightest hint and use me and everyone I love as an example." The spatula cracked against the counter top. “Fucking Vicki Vale.”

"Hey, hey." Kyle carefully pulled him away from the stove, turning down the heat. "It's okay."

"No, it's not." Jason's voice cracked. "Is that why he asked me?"

Kyle raised an eyebrow in shock. "Would Roy really do that to you?"

Jason shook his head. "No. I don't know. Every time I try to talk to him, I swear it’s in one ear and out the other, and I can’t tell if it’s intentional or not." He sniffed and wiped the back of his hand over his eyes, moving back to his cooking, only to curse and throw it all in the trash.

"Did you talk to Artemis and Kori?"

Jason nodded, bracing himself over the counter. "As Princess of Tamaran, Kori's already betrothed, remember? And Tamaraneans look down on polygamy even more than Americans. She wants to be a bridesmaid. Artemis said she isn't the marrying type, and she wants me to do what makes me happy. I don't - I don't know what that is."

Kyle smoothed his hands over his shoulders, careful to leave him a way out. "And what about the others?"

"There aren’t any - not anymore." Jason turned and looped his arms around Kyle's hips, pressing his ear against his heart. "You’ve been gone a while. I was only still with Jess and Dan. They broke up with me on the spot.” He took a deep, shaky breath. “I don’t blame them. It's too risky."

Kyle squeezed his arms around him. "And it’s not your fault either. Obviously, they don’t know how good they had it. What about Roy?" Kyle asked. "How much have you talked with Roy?"

Jason shut his eyes and shook his head. "I'm a horrible person. He proposed to me in public, loudly, in the middle of a crowded restaurant, and I panicked and just left."

"Well, he could've done it in private, but you do need to talk to him. Remember what you told me when you asked me out?"

Jason snorted. "Communication is key. I know I’m a hypocrite."

Kyle hummed and rubbed a hand up and down his boyfriend's spine. "Do you want me to be there when you talk to him? Would that make it better or worse?"

Jason's arms tightened. "I don't know. But can I be selfish and bring you anyway?"

Kyle laughed and pressed a kiss to his hair. "Of course."

Jason sighed and looked up. "What about you, Ky? Would you ever want to get married?"

Kyle threaded his fingers through Jason's hair and kissed him deeply. "You've been with Roy the longest."

Jason rolled his eyes. "I'm not first come, first served, Rayner. Would you ever want to get married?"

"If it was safe? Absolutely." Kyle stroked his thumbs over Jason's cheekbones. "What's not to want? I get you - your personality, your good looks, and your money. Not to mention your cooking."

Jason laughed and slumped forward, forehead on Kyle's sternum. “Te amo, Kyle,” he murmured.

"Te amo también.” Kyle kissed the top of his head. “Hey,” he said, rubbing circles on his shoulders as he pulled away, “I just got back and I'm tired. Why don't you shoot Roy a text telling him where you are and asking if you can talk to him tomorrow – I can help you word it – and then we cuddle until we fall asleep?"

"Yeah," Jason said, scrubbing his face and reaching for his phone. "Yeah, let's do that."

Kyle caught his wrist and pressed a kiss against his pulse. "Everything will be okay. I'm going to go shower, I'll meet you in the bedroom."

 

* * *

 

Roy fidgeted, glancing around the coffeeshop. He frowned and reached for his phone, rereading the text he got the night before.

_> Sorry I ran on you, I freaked out. I've been staying at Kyle's while he's in space, but he just got back. Can we talk about this? Maybe tomorrow morning at our spot? I'm bringing moral support, but he's just moral support, no opinion, not one he's going to share._

_< yes of course we can talk i'll be there at 10_

He glanced at his watch, then up as the doors chimed.

Jason walked through, looking nervous, Kyle right behind him.

Roy stood and smiled. "Hey."

Jason grinned and hugged him. "Hey."

Roy sighed and pulled away, sitting down and gesturing for Jason and Kyle to do the same. "So, what's wrong? If you don't want to get married, you can just say no."

Jason laughed. "God, Roy," he said in that tone when he'd rehearsed the conversation a hundred times already, "you have no idea. I want to marry you, I would love to marry you, but it's not just you and me." He glanced out of the corner of his eye at Kyle, who was doing his best goofy statue impersonation. Jason snorted and smiled, then continued. "If I choose to marry you, I can't choose to marry anyone else...." He trailed off.

Kyle nudged him with his toe. "Tell him."

Jason sighed and pressed his leg against Kyle's and looped his other ankle behind Roy's, shocking the archer. He ran a hand through his hair and clenched his jaw. "A couple people broke up with me when I went to them for advice. With who I am, who I have to be, it's... a risk." He yanked his hand out of his curls and waved it in the air a moment before flopping it down at his side. "God, Roy, it's like you didn't even read the law, or you did and...."

Roy opened his mouth before he could stop himself. "It said as long as you don't act married to anyone else, you're fine, and I thought - "

"You assumed I'd be okay making that sacrifice?" Jason asked, both sad and livid. "That's not your choice to make. I love you, Roy, but I also love my other boyfriends and girlfriends and datemates." He glanced at Kyle. "I'm not first come, first served."

Roy glared at the Green Lantern. "Would you marry him?"

Jason groaned. "You're not listening! If I marry anyone - you, him, Jake from the ShopRite - it puts me and everyone else I love at risk."

"It's just a misdemeanor."

Jason glared. "Now you're being deliberately obtuse. You know the effects of a criminal record of any kind. I can't marry you, Roy. I want to, but I can't."

Silence fell over the table, and Kyle fidgeted awkwardly.

"Maybe we should take a break," Jason said.

Kyle sucked in a sharp breath, and Jason glanced at him.

"Maybe... maybe I should take a break." He looked down at the wood of the table. "Just from life – it’s been a while since I last had a vacation or something. Just for a few weeks. Maybe I’ll go spend some time with my sister. And then when I come back, we can figure this all out."

Roy scrubbed his hands down his face. "Yeah. Okay."

Jason looked sad. "Okay," he murmured. "Okay," he said, standing, "I'm gonna stay at my place. I'll see you guys later."

After he'd left the shop, Kyle turned to Roy.

"Don't blame me for that," Roy said.

"I'm not." Kyle held up his hands, trying to placate. "But you need to remember you're not in a relationship with just one person."

"I'm not dating any of you," Roy pointed out, much angrier than he meant to sound. "I'm dating Jason."

"And Jason's dating us," Kyle said, "which means - like it or not - you are in a relationship with all of us. What you do affects us. Kori's one of your best friends, right? How do you think she'll feel when Jay tells her he's taking a break?"

Roy bit his lip.

"Jason isn't yours," Kyle pointed out. "Jason isn't even ours. He's his. You have to let him be or we all get hurt."

Roy nodded, and Kyle left.

* * *

 

 **Jason** was quiet as Roy closed the door behind Kori. The princess had come over for game night and they'd all fallen into bed together per their norm, but now she was gone, and he could tell something was wrong.

"Hey," he murmured, pressing a kiss to Jason's neck. "You okay?"

Jason bit his lip and shrugged. "I don't know."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"I...," Jason trailed off and sighed. "You can't be mad, but you're probably going to want to be."

"Okay?"

"Just promise me you'll wait to react until I've said everything."

"Promise."

Jason gnawed on his cheek as he tried to put the words together. "I kind of want to date Kori."

Roy's breath caught in his throat and he thought of the ring hidden in the bottom of his quiver.

"But I don't want to stop dating you."

Roy closed his eyes. "I - Do you want to date us together? Because that's... very different than the occasional threesome."

"If you want," Jason said, "or not."

Roy sighed. "You don't need my permission."

Jason put a hand on his face. "I want you to still trust me. I want to know you're okay with this."

"And if I'm not?"

Jason swallowed, sounding like it ripped a part of him away to say his next words. "Then I won't."

Roy pressed his lips to his palm. "Okay."

"Okay?" Jason asked. "Like okay-okay?"

Roy chuckled. "Okay-okay."

Jason kissed him. "Te amo, Roy. That's never going to change."

Roy grinned.

It still shocked him when Jason came to him the next week. "She said yes, we're going out on Sunday."

He didn't think Kori would do that.

Three months later, Jason came to him after a weekend at Kori's and said "I think I want to date Artemis, too."

"I think I want to date Kyle, too."

"I think I want to date Mary from next door."

"I think I want to date Taylor from the florists'."

"I met this guy at a bar and I kind of want to date him, too."

Some nights, when Jason was on a date and Lian was with Paula, Roy would stare at a glass of champagne for hours, cursing his inability to say no.

As time went on, things smoothed over. Jason came up with a system, started tracking anniversaries and dates and partners as only a bat could. Things were good, stable.

Roy thought back to that ring.

* * *

 

 **Jason** sighed as Cass painted his nails.

She poked him in the ribs. "Stop moving."

"Sorry."

"You miss them."

Jason nodded, he never needed words with Cass, it was part of the reason he sought her out.

She put down his hand. "You should go back."

"Do you think it's been long enough?"

Cass looked him in the eye. "Never will be. But soon, too late."

Jason nodded slowly. "I do miss them, all of them. Do you think Roy...."

"He loves you," Cass said, assuaging his most immediate fear. "Should have paid attention… thought a bit longer, gotten more... learned? No...."

"Informed?" Jason asked.

Cass nodded. "He would come to same conclusion. You would need to wait. But he would be... better for you. For this."

"Should I marry him?"

Cass smiled and gave the same answer she had for the last three weeks. "No. You are... right." She put her hand on his forehead like a benediction. "You are right. He will see."

Jason sighed, then nodded, fortifying himself. "I need to go back."

"Flight leaves tomorrow afternoon." Cass smiled and handed him a ticket and luggage tags.

Jason laughed and hugged her. "You know me so well."

Cass stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. "Because I love you, little brother." She pointed to his nails. "Movie while they dry?"

Jason grinned and pulled her close, pressing a kiss to her hair. "Te quiero también, hermanita."

* * *

 

Jason's flight arrived in the late evening. He sighed and turned on his phone as soon as he cleared baggage claim, heading to his motorcycle as it started buzzing in his pocket and didn't stop.

He made it safely to his nearest safehouse and collapsed on the bed before reading all his messages.

Kori had sent him one hundred and two cat videos.

Artemis had asked if there was any way she could help once he got back.

Kyle had texted him a few times - things that reminded him of him throughout the day - and then, again a few days ago when he was summoned back to Oa.

Roy had left him a voicemail.

Jason sighed and put the phone on speaker.

_"Hey, Jay, it's me. I - um - I've been doing some research. Call me when you get back? And, uh, I'm an ass. Sorry. I love you."_

Jason rolled over on his side, staring off into space as he thought.

After a moment, he picked up his phone and shot Roy a text.

_< Just got in. Gonna sleep all day tomorrow. Meet the day after? My place on 24th ST?_

He didn't have to wait long for a reply.

_> i'll be there sleep well_

Jason smiled and rolled out of bed toward the shower.

* * *

 

Two days later found Jason neurotically cleaning everything in his apartment as he waited for Roy to arrive.

He texted his brothers, sent a quick _"I lived, bitch"_ to Bruce and a much kinder, lengthier report to Alfred, then he settled down on his couch and took apart his weapons.

He had just put everything away when he heard the key in the lock. He took a deep breath as Roy entered the safe house.

"Jaybird?" Roy called. "Are you home?"

"In the kitchen!"

Roy came into the room with a tin of cookies held in front of him. "I may or may not have paid your grandfather with hours of physical labor in order to get your favorites." He smiled sheepishly.

Jason smiled and took the cookies, setting them on the counter. "You wanted to talk?"

"Yeah," Roy sat down on the nearest barstool as Jason leaned against the island. "I should've listened better. I still want you to be you. I just...." He trailed off, pursing his lips.

"You thought everybody else would come second to you but they're - _you're_ all equally as important to me," Jason finished.

"Yeah," Roy said. "I mean, I knew that, but I didn't want to know it. I thought maybe I would...."

Jason shook his head. "But that would never work. I just - I want...."

"I understand that now. I'm sorry I refused to before."

Jason nodded and sighed.

"Maybe...." Roy shook his head. "I, uh, I made you this." He fished a charm necklace out of his pocket. "Arrow for me, amethyst for Kori, axe for Artemis, and a lantern for Kyle. I'm sorry, I - I kind of stopped listening to you talk about your other partners after a while, but...."

Jason put a hand on the side of his face and rubbed his thumb over his cheekbones. "I forgive you."

"I'll do better," Roy vowed with a whisper.

Jason pressed a kiss to his lips and slipped the necklace over his head. "Stay the night?"

Roy smiled, then shook his head. "Nah, I promised Lian a daddy-daughter night. Tomorrow?"

"I have a date with Artemis." Jason frowned. "Saturday? It's mine and Kyle's anniversary, but he's off planet."

"Saturday," Roy agreed. He kissed him one last time and rested their foreheads together. "Ayóó ánííníshní," he said before tearing himself away and heading toward the door.

Jason smiled. "Te amo también," he called. "That will never change."

**Author's Note:**

> And that's the fic! Lmk what you think!
> 
> Oh, yeah, also, I should add that I'm questioning poly - like 85% certain - and if you know me in real life and I gave you this link.... Now you know.


End file.
